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New York Times bestselling author James Grippando delivers a powerful, nonstop thrill ride ripped from the headlines. Miami criminal defense attorney Jack Swyteck is back in his most frightening case yet, and this time the price of victory is measured in blood.

It is the most sensational murder trial since O. J. Simpson's. The nation is obsessed with Sydney Bennett, a sexy nightclub waitress and good-time girl accused of murdering her two-year-old daughter for cramping her party life. When he had agreed to defend Sydney, Jack Swyteck knew he'd be taking on the toughest and most controversial case of his career.

Millions of "TV jurors" have convicted Sydney in the court of public opinion.

When the shocking verdict of not guilty is announced, citizens across the country are outraged, and Jack is bombarded by the fallout: angry, profanity-laced phone calls and even outright threats. Media-fed rumors of "blood money"—purported seven-figure book and movie deals—ratchet up the hysteria, putting Jack's client and everyone around her at risk.

On the night of Sydney's release, an angry mob outside the jail has gathered to serve its own justice. In the frenzy, an innocent young woman bearing a striking resemblance to the reviled Sydney Bennett ends up in a coma. While the media blame Jack and his defense team, the victim's parents reach out to him, requesting his help. They don't believe the attack was the tragic result of random mob violence.

Searching for the truth about what happened that night, Jack makes a frightening discovery. Larger and much more powerful forces are working in the shadows, and what happened outside the jail is a symptom of an evil that infected the show-stopping trial and media-spun phenomenon of Sydney Bennett.

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Editorial Reviews

The latest Jack Swyteck legal thriller begins with a controversial not-guilty verdict, a violent act that leaves a young woman in a coma, and accusations of corruption leveled at Jack himself. His client, a woman accused of murdering her daughter because the girl impinged on her carefree lifestyle, is acquitted, but Jack knows there’s a lot more to the case than he’s been allowed to reveal in court. And after a woman who looks startlingly like his client is beaten nearly to death, Jack discovers that this was no weirdly coincidental act of violence but rather a result of something hidden behind the media spectacle surrounding the trial. After a few lethargic Swyteck novels, the author charged back in 2011 with Afraid of the Dark, and this one is similarly energetic, with a story that’s full of twists and turns and, not incidentally, some well-aimed criticisms of the way high-profile trials are covered by the news media. A timely and very well executed story. --David Pitt

About the Author

James Grippando is a New York Times bestselling author of twenty-five novels. He was a trial lawyer for twelve years before the publication of his first novel in 1994 (The Pardon), and later served as counsel at Boies Schiller & Flexner LLP. He lives in South Florida with his wife, three children, two cats, and a golden retriever named Max who has no idea that he’s a dog.

Top customer reviews

I'm a big fan of James Grippando. I've read all his books. So I was excited to start this book. When reading the first chapter, I thought "Oh No, You Didn't!" Clearly the base legal case is a Casey Anthony wanna be. I was really afraid this would ruin the book for me. However, it didn't. Most of the book goes way beyond the Casey Anthony-like case. Would I have preferred that the base case was something else -- definitely. However, the rest of the plot is interesting and well developed with lots of twists and turns, with opposing attorneys and scuzzy press you love to hate. Plus some of the conversations between Swyteck and Theo are laugh out loud funny. Too bad there wasn't more of that. Will I read more of Grippando? Absolutely. I like his writing style. I just hope he doesn't use current legal cases as bases for his plots in the future. I get why TV does it, but not an author. They should be more creative, unless it's a true crime novel -- at least in my opinion.

I thoroughly enjoyed this latest Grippando thriller based on the Casey Anthony trial. I was immediately hooked. Adding the Nancy Grace character was a double bonus. But adding Grippando's own spin was priceless. I read it in 2 days! Now on to the 11th Swyteck book. I am binge reading as I read the 13th novel first before any other Swyteck books. Definitely am a big fan!

A lot of the plot was straight out of the Casey Anthony case in Orlando, FL. If you have forgotten, Casey Anthony was accused of killing her 2 year old daughter Kaylee. In spite of what looked like overwhelming circumstantial evidence, the jury said "Not Guilty."

The book starts off copying the Casey Anthony case. So, of course, we know exactly what is going to happen. But to author Grippando's credit he does veer off into an original direction fairly quickly. And the book was very enjoyable. Just can't quite give it 5 stars because of copying the Casey Anthony case.

It had been a while since I had read one of James Grippando's Jack Swyteck books, so I was glad to get this one for my Kindle. I was not disappointed.

Although Jack Swyteck is a criminal defense lawyer, he always ends up in sticky situations unintentionally, and quite unexpectedly. He did some research for his friend, also an attorney, for an upcoming trial. However, Jack's friend passes away before the trial starts and since Jack is the only living attorney of record, he is ordered to take the case. Sydney Bennett was reviled by the press and the general population and which gave her the nickname of "ShotMom" because of a picture showing she was out partying the night her two-year-old daughter disappearred. When the jury came back with a "Not Guilty" verdict, people weren't happy, Arrangements are made for her release in the wee hours of the morning, but before she was released a woman in the crowd of protestors was mistaken to be Sydney and she was assaulted and strangled.

That's where I stop with the storyline because the twists and turns the story takes from there will keep you shaking your head and always guessing what is next. Will Jack's FBI fiancee, Andie, still be around when it's over? Can Jack keep his Abuela safe? The monster has threatened to kill "someone you love", while at the same time, Sydney has disappeared.